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Instant Pot Minestrone Soup -Better Than Your Favorite Italian Restaurant

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It is soup season, and that means it is time to bring out our favorite soup recipes, including this Instant Pot Minestrone Soup!

When the weather begins to turn cooler and the time spent outside comes to a minimum, we tend to cook more soups than any other time of the year.

Instant Pot Minestrone soup
A bowl of Minestrone Soup that was made in the Instant Pot.

And there is no better way to cook soup than in an Instant Pot! Most soups take way less time to make when cooked in a pressure cooker. But the best part of all is that the soup tastes like it has been simmering all day.

We cook most of our soups in a 6 quart Duo Instant Pot. However, almost every soup recipe can be adapted to be cooked in either a 3 quart Mini or 8 or 10 quart pressure cooker.

Although you will decrease or increase the ratio of ingredients, the important thing to remember is that the cook time remains the same. Therefore, if you cut this recipe in half, or even double it, the duration of the Pressure Cook time does not change.

instant pot Minestrone Soup
No matter what size Instant Pot that you have, or if you decrease or increase the ingredients, the cook time remains the same.

We have adapted the following soup recipes without any difficulty at all:

Instant Pot Soup Recipes

And this soup can also be easily adapted to meet your individual or family serving size needs as well.

rinse garbanzo beans
Before making the soup, be sure to prepare all of the ingredients, including rinsing and draining the garbanzo beans.

I first had Minestrone Soup at a local Italian Restaurant. For those that are unfamiliar with this soup, the best way to describe it as a thick vegetable soup that also includes either pasta or rice.

It originated as an easy way to use leftovers. But now, it has turned into a soup recipe that many people crave, especially on a chilly Autumn or Winter day.

How To Make Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Because this recipe is vegetable based, it is best to prepare your ingredients before you start cooking.

onions and bay leaves
Once you are ready to get cooking, turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE mode. Be sure not to add the first ingredients until the display on the front panel reads HOT.

Once everything is diced, set aside and turn the Instant Pot on the SAUTE mode. Once the display reads HOT, add the oil, onions, and bay leaves. Continue to saute until the onions become translucent.

Then add the minced garlic and press CANCEL. The garlic will continue to saute as the pot begins to cool down.

Next add the following ingredients: carrots, celery, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper and stir. Now add the chicken broth, kidney beans, garbanzo beans and stir again.

minestrone ingredients
Once the onions, bay leaves, and garlic have been sautéed, add the carrots, celery, spices and chicken broth.

Here is the Most Important Step

Now it is time to add the tomato products. Place the diced and crushed tomatoes to the Minestrone Soup in the pot but DO NOT STIR.

This will help to prevent the BURN notice from occurring during the cooking process. And the same thing holds true when you add tomato paste.

Place the tomato paste on top of the other ingredients and lightly press down, but DO NOT STIR.

tomato paste
Add the tomato products and tomato paste on top of the other ingredients and DO NOT STIR!

Cooking Times and Procedures

Now it is time to get cooking! Lock the lid in place and place the valve in the SEALING position.

Pressure Cook/Manual on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. *Remember that it will take several minutes for the pot to come to pressure.

Soups typically take longer than other meals for the pressure to build up. Therefore, it could take up to 20-25 minutes for the cooking time to begin.

minestrone ingredients waiting
While the soup is coming to pressure, prepare the remaining ingredients.

When the cook time is up, allow the pot to sit for 15 minutes to Natural Pressure Release. This will allow the pressure to start to decrease before it is time to perform a controlled release of the remaining pressure.

Controlled Pressure Release Recommendations

After the 15 minute expires, slowly move the valve towards the venting position. Do not fully move the valve until you release some of the residual pressure to prevent the soup from exiting out of the valve itself.

Carefully open the Instant Pot and stir the Minestrone soup. Press Saute and add in the zucchini, pasta and green beans.

Continue to saute until the pasta is cooked and tender. Then stir in Parmesan cheese until melted.

instant pot minestrone
After you carefully open the lid, stir in the zucchini, elbow noodles, and green beans.

Serve warm with garnishing each bowl with additional Parmesan cheese and basil, if desired.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

*If you would like to freeze this soup, I recommend you do so without the zucchini, pasta and Parmesan cheese. Then add those ingredients when you reheat the Minestrone Soup on the Saute mode of the Instant Pot.

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Yield: 12

Instant Pot Minestrone Recipe

instant pot minestrone

A classic Italian Soup loaded with vegetables, pasta and beans and made easy in a pressure cooker!

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 7 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 tsp oregano, dried
  • 1 tsp basil, dried
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 7 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
  • 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
  • 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 6 ounce can Tomato Paste
  • 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup elbow pasta , dry
  • 1 14 ounce can green beans, cut and drained
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Instructions

  1. Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil. Then add in the onion and the bay leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to turn translucent.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for about 20 seconds, stirring constantly, or until it is fragrant. Press CANCEL
  3. Add the carrots, celery, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans. Stir.
  5. Pour in diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. DO NOT STIR.
  6. Spoon the tomato paste on top. Gently press to submerge in the liquid, but DO NOT STIR.
  7. Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to SEALING.
  8. Pressure Cook/Manual on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
  9. When the cook time is up allow for 15 minute Natural Release. Then do a controlled Quick Release of the remaining pressure.
  10. When the pin drops down, open the lid and carefully stir the soup. Press CANCEL.
  11. Press SAUTE and add in the zucchini, pasta and green beans. Continue to saute for 5-10 minutes or until the pasta and zucchini are tender.
  12. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
  13. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and more parmesan if desired.

Notes

Allow an additional 15 minutes or so for the pot to come to pressure. 

A controlled quick release is when you partially turn the venting knob so that a little steam comes out at a time. This helps prevent the soup from exiting through the vent. 

Recipe provided by Make Your Meals

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 113Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 779mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
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